Tyrell Johnson heads to Miami

Posted by Josh Alper on April 5, 2012, 4:48 PM EST

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The Dolphins announced Thursday that they signed free agent safety Tyrell Johnson.

Johnson was the 43rd overall pick of the 2008 draft and played 49 games for the Vikings over the last four years. He spent the 2009 season as a starter, but didn’t do a very good job defending against the pass. He’s been limited to reserve and special teams roles for most of the last two years and never lived up to the status of a second-round pick in Minnesota.

The Dolphins have an opening at safety after parting ways with Yeremiah Bell earlier in the offseason. There’s been some talk about bringing Bell back at a lower salary, but Johnson’s arrival might be a sign that the Dolphins are heading in a different direction. Kevin Coyle has talked about going away from a strict free safety/strong safety alignment, but Johnson’s issues in pass coverage would make it hard for him to play the deep man. Chris Clemons, Reshad Jones and Tyrone Culver are also on hand at safety for the Dolphins.

Linebacker Austin Spitler also signed his exclusive rights tender with the team on Thursday.

One has to assume Koyle likes something about this gut to want him at all. Seems like a longshot to beat out the marginal guys we already have. Never know, though, Jason Allen look like dog poop until his second contract with another team.

As a big Dolphin fan, I’ve been waiting for the major free agent signing. Is this it?????
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No, this is the major coverage breakdowns you will be enjoying if this chump is let on the field.

This further evidence oft the piss poor management of the Dolphins. They are becoming a bigger and bigger joke every day. Johnson sucks. I live in Viqeen territory and this guy sucked. He’s doesn’t deserve to be in the NFL.

Take a good look at this picture of Tyrell Miami fans, you’re gonna be seeing this look from him alot on the field in the future after he blows an interception or misses a tackle!! My sincere condolences go out to you for this signing!!

Knee jerk fans: Let’s see if this guy even takes the team. Bell is getting older but could still be brought back for the min if this guy doesn’t pan out. We still have the draft coming up and more free agents to consider once training camp cuts start. Bell has been decent the past couple years, but he’s not the best in coverage either. Certainly not worth $4M+.

Since our new DC Kevin Coyle, made an 11 year living as a DB coach in Cincinnati – getting solid production out of previously regarded DB busts like most recently Reggie Nelson… I’ll put off the cup of arsenic all the NFC Central fans here are recommending for a while yet.

I hope the vikes don’t pull a benny sapp move and bring him back from the dang dolphins! Let him go, be happy about it(i am) and move on! unbelievable how the vikes didn’t do squat last season to ungrade that crappy secondary. they deserved 3-13. duh.

As a life long Miami fan I am as frustrated as anybody but if you take a look at what Miami is doing it sort of makes sense…….Look at all of the players they are bringing in. They are signing everybody to 1 year minimum contracts. Look at the players they have gotten rid of. Marshall and Bell, two players that took up huge amounts of cap space. Miami is obviously attempting to clear a-lot of cap space. I know that it stinks for us fans right now but this has to be done in order to build a solid, sustainable team. Miami needs to clear cap space and build through the draft. The only problem with this is that Ireland should have had this business model two years ago when he took the reigns for Parcells.

Nothing wrong with teams filling needs with average players in free agency.

However, Tyrell Johnson is a TERRIBLE football player. Just plain bad. Seen plenty of him, and he honestly does not belong on an NFL roster. Maybe they have plans for him on kickoff/punt coverage? I can’t see how, since one of his biggest deficiencies is angles to the ball carrier.

No body needs a saftey more than the Vikings and they let this guy go. Tyrell is a terrible football player. He is not NFL material at all. I know some players just need a change of scenary but that is not the case with this guy. He has no talent at all. I’m sure he is a great guy, just not very good. I do wish him the best though.

Safety in the cover 2 is a harder, more cerebral position to play than in other schemes. Tyrell Johnson is an athletic safety who was missing the mental part of the game, which often caused him to get beat deep by offensive trickery. Maybe he’ll be more effective in another scheme…

Thank you ” bchapman2011″ finally someone who understands the big picture. TheFins made some major personnel blunders over the past few years and it is time to pay the piper. Like it or not the Dolphins are rebuilding and planning for a healthy future, so haters ( both Fins Fans and others) keep pouring it on. Your Teams will be here soon too. Steelers, Eagles, Cowboys, Cardinals and Jets already there. Mortgaged your future with Stars and no SB to show for it.

The reason the Dolphins cut Jason Allen is because the activated Chad Pennington for salary cap reasons. Jason Allen may have got beating a few times, but he also made a lot of big plays. I would take Jason Allen at free safety over the current players any day.

This guy could really blossom if he got some good coaching. He will be like a rookie again unlearning all that goofy viking version of
Tampa – 2 that has never worked.
He did not have very good players around him in Minnesota either.

Sorry to hear that Dolphin fans. Johnson can’t cover, can’t tackle. He just plain sucks. Put it this way, the vikes picked up Benny Sapp, the guy the Dolphins dropped like a hot potato last year, to HELP our secondary. Yes, he was better than what we had, including Johnson. Yikes…

bchapman2011 says:
Apr 5, 2012 8:12 PM
As a life long Miami fan I am as frustrated as anybody but if you take a look at what Miami is doing it sort of makes sense…….Look at all of the players they are bringing in. They are signing everybody to 1 year minimum contracts. Look at the players they have gotten rid of. Marshall and Bell, two players that took up huge amounts of cap space. Miami is obviously attempting to clear a-lot of cap space. I know that it stinks for us fans right now but this has to be done in order to build a solid, sustainable team. Miami needs to clear cap space and build through the draft. The only problem with this is that Ireland should have had this business model two years ago when he took the reigns for Parcells.

The only problem actually is Ireland will be building through the draft!

If the Phins are building through the draft, then Philbin seems to be having a greater influence on the team’s future than the previous people of influence. Ireland is adapting to that approach. If he is up to the job, he stays. If not, he goes. In the meantime, the clearing of cap space is the painful, but proper thing to do. No pain, no gain.